You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 44 Part 1

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 44 Part 1

It was close to eleven o’clock at night when Xu Huaisong and Ruan Yu returned to her apartment. Ruan Yu took a shower and went to bed. Xu Huaisong, still going by his daily routine in the US, stayed up in the living room working on his laptop.

During the night, Ruan Yu got up once. She opened the bedroom door and saw Xu Huaisong typing on the keyboard with a particularly serious look on his face.

Xu Huaisong looked up and saw Ruan Yu. His tightened face instantly relaxed. He asked: “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

Ruan Yu shook her head and turned on the ceiling light for him: “You still have a lot of unfinished cases over in the US?”

He replied “en,” but explained: “But I’m looking at Zhou Jun’s case now.”

“You aren’t specialized in criminal law.” Ruan Yu walked over to sit down next to him: “Just let Zhang Jie handle it.”

Xu Huaisong became quiet.

Ruan Yu rubbed her sleepy eyes and cupped her face with her hands. After a while, Xu Huaisong turned to look at her: “This case is somewhat similar to the case that my father handled ten years ago.”

Ruan Yu wasn’t sleepy anymore: “Why do you say that?”

Xu Huaisong pursed his lips and spoke while still looking at the laptop screen: “Both cases don’t have eyewitnesses, don’t have any conclusive evidence, all the clues at the scene point to the only suspect, both suspects refuse to plead guilty, and both suspects have excuses which sound too dramatic to be accepted by most people.”

“What happened to that suspect ten years ago?”

“He was acquitted because of insufficient evidence. He probably still lives in Su City.”

“What about the real killer?”

Xu Huaisong lowered his head with a smile: “Who knows? Maybe it’s that suspect or maybe there is someone else.”

“There’s been no resolution in ten years. Then the family of that victim……”

Ruan Yu didn’t continue.

Xu Huaisong was quiet for a moment, then said: “The victim’s family firmly believed that the suspect is the real killer and my father was an accomplice who helped the suspect get acquitted. They harassed our family for two whole years. If my father hadn't moved to the US, they’d probably still be at it now.” 

Ruan Yu, despite being a writer, couldn’t even find the proper words to comfort him. She reached over to stroke the back of his hand.

Xu Huaisong turned his head to her and smiled: “It’s alright. It’s only normal for the victim’s family to react this way. My father’s defense did indeed have a major influence on the direction of how the case was being handled. Besides, to the general public of China ten years ago, the principle of presumption of innocence was a very vague concept. You tell them that you can’t convict someone just because he’s the only suspect and they wouldn’t understand it.”

“Even nowadays, when people are having casual conversation, they’ll totally agree to no punishment in doubtful cases, the rights of the suspects, and due process. But when facing a gruesome tragedy, objective judgment is overcome by emotions even for most of the onlookers, not to mention the victim’s family.”

“What did your father think?”

“I was thinking the same question before. I tried to figure out whether he knew the suspect was guilty or not. But later on I found out that there’s no answer to this question.”

“Because a lawyer is not a god. So what they think is true may not be the whole truth. More often than not what they think they ‘know’ is wrong. Lawyers don’t have the ability of a god, yet they aren’t allowed to have any human feelings. That’s what many criminal lawyers face.”

Xu Huaisong turned his eyes back to the laptop screen: “I’m trying to walk the path that my father had gone through to find the answer for my mother, though…… it’s ten years late.”

Ruan Yu rubbed her eyes again with a smile and leaned over to put her arm around his: “Then, I’ll be here to keep you company.”

Xu Huaisong lowered his head and smiled: “Go to sleep first.”

Ruan Yu shook her head while yawning: “I don’t have anything I have to do tomorrow. Aren’t you going to get over jet lag? Once you’re over it, we’ll have the same schedule.”

Xu Huaisong was silent for a moment before saying: “In a few days.”

Ruan Yu stayed next to him, hugging a throw pillow with eyes half closed. When she opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky and she was on her bed.

She figured that she probably didn’t stay awake for long last night and Xu Huaisong must have carried her to her bed.

She jumped out of bed and opened the door. Xu Huaisong was still in the same posture as last night, typing on the keyboard.

“Xu Huaisong, you’re killing yourself!” She walked over to cover his laptop: “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

He looked up: “I already slept a little last night.”

“Really?”

“Really. On your bed, you wouldn’t let go of me.”

Ruan Yu turned back to the bedroom, buried her head in the covers, and took in a deep breath.

Xu Huaisong followed her and said with a laugh: “Alright, I lied. I’ll go to sleep now.”

Ruan Yu turned to give him a harsh look but patiently said: “Then you might as well sleep after eating some breakfast.”

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.